Polyester Bee

Polyester Bee 15
©Peter J. Bryant, University of California, Irvine
Background: Blue Flax
Photo courtesy of ©Fonfred, Shutterstock
solitary nester, but in
large colonies

Polyester Bees - Colletes spp.
Genus: Colletes Family: Colletidae
Slender bees with pale abdomen stripes and lots of hair
7-15 mm long
More than 100 species in North America
Polyester bees have a heart-shaped face, which is one of the ways
they can be distinguished from other bees. They also carry pollen
on their thorax and the upper part of their back legs on their scopae.
The polyester bees got their name because of a material they line
their nest with which resembles cellophane plastic or polyester.
The plastic like material is secreted from a special gland on the
abdomen and is spread about using their short forked tongue
or proboscis. This plastic like lining not only keeps the nest
waterproof but also provides a barrier against fungus and bacteria
entering the nest.
Once the liquid mixture of pollen and nectar has been placed in
the cells the female attaches an egg to the upper portion of the
cell wall. After this, she will secrete a substance from a gland
near her mandibles and spread it over the eggs. This substance
called linalool protects the eggs by working as a bactericide and
fungicide. The cellophane lining for the nest allows the bees to
nest in areas that would otherwise be too wet for nesting.
Polyester bee is just one of the common names
given to this bee; other common names include
cellophane bee, plasterer bee, and membrane
bee. Some of the species in the Colletidae
family are somewhat nocturnal; active only
during early dawn and late dusk hours.
The plastic material that these bees line
their nest with is of interest to scientists.
“A research group at Olin College of
Engineering has been studying polyester bee
plastic for several years: ‘Bio-plastics are only in
the early stages of development,’ says student researcher Shannon
Taylor. Our goal is to understand [bee plastic] well enough to
create something similar ourselves” 1 .
1 Clark, Patterson. “Urban Jungle.” Washington Post. N.p., 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Aug. 2012.
©Dr. Nicolas J. Vereecken
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